HHS HealthBeat (February 27, 2013)

Prostate cancer with that?

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

A study finds that men who ate more fried foods – specifically french fries, fried chicken or fish, and doughnuts – had a higher risk of prostate cancer. 

At the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Dr. Marni Stott-Miller looked at questionnaire data. Men who ate fried foods at least once a week were 30 to 37 percent more likely to have prostate cancer than men who ate these foods less than once a month.

This doesn’t necessarily mean fries will give you prostate cancer. Stott-Miller says the difference amounted to about 10 percent of all prostate cancer cases. But, she says:

“Cutting back on deep-fried foods, if you consume them regularly, could be a proactive step to minimize risk.”

The study in the journal The Prostate was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at healthfinder.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: March 20, 2013